Many people learn about “the birds and the bees” from their parents. It makes sense. Parents want to know their child understands the matter, and they feel comfortable knowing they led the conversation, not someone else in another location, at another time, using information with which they do not agree. So, let me ask you some questions.
Have you had a conversation with your parents about Heaven and Hell? Do you know whether your mother or father have trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
My father passed away in July 2017. We did not have the best of relationships, and as a result, we did not talk much beyond holidays, birthdays, and occasional Sundays. I’m ashamed to say that I never asked my father if he was saved. I know. It’s terrible. I work for a Christian ministry, and I write blogs and articles about Jesus and salvation, and yet here I am a person who never had a conversation about that with his father.
Thankfully, there were people at his funeral that spoke of my father’s testimony. And while this might be purely coincidental, my daughter played “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder, I’ll Be There” on her piano not long after my father’s passing, and just after someone asked me if my father was saved. Her playing that song meant a lot to me at that time. It still does.
Do not be like me. Learn from my experience.
I suppose there may be some people that believe because their parents are churchgoers, or because they read their Bible and do all kinds of awesome things that they are saved. That does not earn salvation. There’s nothing we can do to earn our way into Heaven.
“…We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6 KJV).
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
Did you notice that? God knows we will and would boast about our works. To be honest, I think it is the result of our sin nature - the sin nature with which we entered this world at birth.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).
That sin debt has to be paid. As Romans 6:23 tells us, the wages of sin is death. The good news, however, is that God offers us eternal life in Jesus Christ. That’s the same Jesus Christ that took on our sins and died on the cross – while we yet sinners (Romans 5:8).
So how can we be saved, you might ask?
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 KJV).
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13 KJV).
Many of our readers know these verses by heart. It stands to reason that many people reading these words are born-again believers in Christ. Still, we all need to ask ourselves whether our parents know this information? I know believers whose parents are atheist or unsaved individuals. They will one day die. We all will die at some point. Before that happens though, we need to have a conversation with our parents. In my case, I only have one parent still living.
Excuse me. I need to make a phone call.
Originally published here on EngageMagazine.net. These sites can be shared in your conversation too: here and here.
